Odelia was speechless for a moment, then sighed.
"Why is that important right now?"
Philip shrugged his shoulders and nodded even more seriously.
“It's important.”
"..."
"No, it is very important. Very, very, extremely, very, truly, genuinely."
Odelia slightly furrowed her brows and snatched the newsletter as if to take it away.
"Well, why emphasize it that much again?"
"Because it is that important a matter. Will you be nominated? Do you wish to become the Empress?"
"That is none of your business."
At Odelia's firm answer, Philip looked at her for a moment with a stiff expression.
His gaze wavered ever so slightly, but soon the corners of his mouth twitched as he forced a smile mixed with a joke.
"...Oh, come on, considering how much time we’ve spent together, I’m disappointed."
"Oh dear," Philip sighed slightly inwardly. He had tried to speak as lightly as possible, but a subtle, strange tremor lingered at the end of his sentence.
"Why would I be upset?"
Odelia let out a smirk, as if telling him not to make silly jokes. Odelia never noticed the corners of Philip's mouth drooping downwards.
"...Is there anything else you would like me to do?"
"I don't have anything else to do, so you can go do your own thing."
As Odelia tossed the newsletter into the trash can and sat back down to attend to state affairs, Philip also naturally began to assist her.
For several hours, the sound of a pen nib scratching paper filled the office. Just as the work was ending, the sound of small footsteps suddenly approaching hurriedly from outside the door was heard.
“Aunt!!!”
The door swung open, and Herse rushed into the room.
The soft, chubby cheeks typical of a young child were flushed red, and the eyes sparkled. The hair was disheveled, as if the child had just come from playing.
“Herse?”
Odelia stood halfway up from her seat with a bright smile to greet the child.
"Is something wrong?"
"Yes! Yes! Absolutely!"
Herse waved his hands wildly and smiled brightly.
"It's Eileen! I'm telling you, she smiled at me today! Really! Like this, 'Hehehe'!"
As the child tried to mimic a baby's smile by lifting the corners of his mouth with his small hands, Odelia's lips also relaxed more.
She felt relieved to see the child, who had been huddled in a corner with a gloomy expression just a short while ago, smiling like this.
At first, Odelia decided that it would be best for Herse to leave Talamand and return to his own home. This was because she was worried that Herse might develop trauma from what he had experienced in the cave.
However, Herse intended to stay in Talamand, but then her heart sank when she realized that the child could not go far out of fear.
However, the child clearly expressed his feelings, stating that he did not want to be separated from his younger sister, Eileen, whom he had risked his life to protect that day, for even a single moment. Hearing the reason, Odelia breathed a sigh of relief.
“Wow!”
Herse swung his arms in the air and raised his voice even louder.
"Today, Eileen even babbled 'Apapa'! I was the very first one to hear it! Auntie, you have to listen to it later too!"
Odelia burst out laughing and stroked his head.
"Right, right. Brave Herse, you are practically Eileen's older brother, so it's a relief you heard this first."
Herse wandered around the room with an excited look on his face.
Then, suddenly, he spotted a piece of paper with silver edges gleaming in the trash can, glanced around, and secretly picked it up.
Then, taking advantage of the moment Odelia stepped away, he carefully folded the newsletter and slipped it between Odelia's reports as if playing a secret prank.
A mischievous smile appeared on the face of the child who had created a small secret known only to themselves.
But.
"...Hey there, little young master."
A low, dry voice fell from behind.
Herse, startled, turned his head sharply.
Philip stood with his arms crossed, slightly raising his eyebrows.
"Gasp."
"You've been caught red-handed."
“Me what?”
Even as Philip walked slowly closer and closed the distance, Herse widened his eyes and nonchalantly asked back.
He hid his small hands behind his back and pretended to be innocent, but his cheeks quickly flushed. Philip swallowed a deep sigh inwardly.
Does this tiny little thing think it’s suddenly Cupid or something? As the Marquis’s only precious young master, I can’t really say anything to you...
Philip, with his eyes half-closed, looked sharp.
"What did you put in the middle of the report?"
"Me? Me what? I didn't put it in?"
Herse blinked and pretended not to know, but then clenched his lips and, unable to hold back any longer, spat it out.
"But I know everything. I see everything!"
Philip furrowed his brow deeply.
What do you mean by that?
"I know everything about the relationship between Aunt and His Majesty the Emperor!"
Herse placed both hands on his hips and puffed out his chest proudly like a little knight.
"That's why I'm helping you. To make Aunt happy!"
At that moment, Philip's expression contorted.
Just as he was about to sigh, a strange, uncomfortable lump formed on one side of his chest.
... That's true, though.
Philip cleared his throat for no reason and turned his gaze away.
It crossed his mind that the little young master seemed much more mature than him in this regard.
***
The capital was seething with banquets. This year's social season was more glamorous and intense than ever before.
Since it was the first banquet held since Fabiana's downfall, the nobles each revealed their ambitions to claim the noble seats in the vacant palace.
Securing the position of Empress meant changing the entire family's status, so in the marble hall, secret smiles and ruthless calculations were endlessly exchanged.
"It must invite Odelia Rubis, the Lord of Talamand!"
"Of course. She will be the true center of this social season."
"Our family will be the first to serve."
"Oh my, what a joke. Didn't you clearly side with Fabiana last time? You are so shallow."
Fierce words of mutual suspicion were exchanged. A power struggle broke out among the nobles as they tried to be the first to invite Odelia.
In other words, it also meant that invitations to Talamand would pour down like snow.
Sure enough.
On one side of Odelia's bookshelf, envelopes already piled up like a mountain were shining along with their glittering seals.
However, Odelia's face was not bright as she faced the mountain of invitations.
She took a deep breath as she slowly flipped through the envelopes on the desk one by one.
As the Lord of Talamand, she could not even laugh easily, knowing full well that every small step she took now would soon cause ripples throughout the entire empire.
'....I never imagined the nobles would go crazy just to invite one person like me.'
Just showing her face at a social gathering once causes families to take sides and turns the order of the banquet hall upside down.
To that extent, her existence had now become not merely that of a 'lord,' but a variable capable of determining the direction of politics.
However, the problem was that she was not yet perfectly stable.
Even though she had reclaimed the name Rubis, she was, in reality, nothing more than a force that lacked a proper political foundation.
It has strength, but its roots are not deep yet.
'If I enter the banquet hall in this state... surely someone will drag me down, and someone else will drag me away to use me.'
Odelia narrowed her eyes and clutched the envelope.
'I can't last long with a mediocre foundation.'
That 'foundation' was not merely territory or resources, but Odelia herself.
If she looks weak, Talamand will look down on her too.
If she remained steadfast, neither Talamand nor those who follow her will be able to look down on her.
'My status alone becomes the shield of everything I wish to protect.'
Talamand, all the people Odelia loves, and even this country.
Suddenly, a long-ago memory came to mind.
She would gather strength and go to his side—it was not merely a feeling, but a goal and a vow.
'Maybe now... is the time.'
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